British pop artist Rebecca Taylor, better known as Self Esteem, has commented on misogyny in the in the music industry in light of the WEC’s latest report. Speaking with Jonny Greenwood for BBC radio 4, Taylor outlined how she thought the music industry as a whole is “not a safe environment” for women and people of colour. When questioned about the lack of female representation at major UK festivals, Taylor said that “most women quit” before their career gets to the point where they are successful enough to headline major music events.

“We revere Bowie and the Beatles, but there were so many women who were just as good but they never got the chance” - Rebecca Taylor (2024)

One testimony, outlined by the Women and Equalities Committee was that of X-factor runner-up, Rebecca Ferguson. Speaking to the commission, Ferguson said: “members of my team told me they were ‘threatened ‘or ‘bribed’ to not work with me when I ended what I deemed to be an exploitative and abusive contract.” This only illustrates Taylor’s point that many women and people of colour are placed between a rock and a hard place: either put up with abuse and economic exploitation or leave the music industry altogether.

As a result of an in-depth investigation, the commission has put forward the suggestion that freelance workers should be subject to the same protections against discrimination as employees. The commission specifically mentions section 14 of the 2010 Equalities Act, which prohibits favourable treatment of employees on the basis of age, disability, gender identity, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. Many in the music industry are self-employed, often signing temporary agreements and deals as freelancers rather than as contracted employees. Although freelancers are, on paper, protected under section 14, the WEC argues that there is no current legislative infrastructure to uphold this protection.

The WEC has also outlined how non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) have been abused by individuals and companies within the music industry, especially with regards to incidents involving victims of sexual harassment and assault. An NDA is a legally binding contract that ensures that the signee will not speak about certain topics that are outlined within the document. NDAs are often used by companies to make sure that trade secrets or business plans do not become publicly available, however the WEC has found that victims of sexual harassment and violence in the music industry are forced into silence through these legally binding ‘agreements’.

“Women we spoke to described how they were coerced into signing by businesses who threatened to ruin them financially or reputationally if they refused to sign.” ­– WEC Report (2024) P53

Despite hardship, abuse, and discrimination, the WEC’s report could push the industry in a more positive direction. The commission has outlined specific legislative changes that, they say, must be enacted upon to improve the working conditions of women and people of colour in the music industry. It is now up to parliament as to whether these proposed changes are enacted upon.

Speaking hopefully about the report, Rebecca Taylor said: “this report is quite exciting because I didn’t think in my lifetime that we would see any transparency about it [misogyny in the music industry].” Although this report is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, Taylor was quick to point out that “equality is a long way away”.  

The email sent by Bush read, “Dear Brisbane Pub Choir. I’ve been so busy that I’ve only just had the chance to watch you all singing ‘RUTH’. It’s utterly, utterly wonderful! I love it so much! Thank you everyone. You sing it really beautifully. I’m incredibly touched by your warmth and all your smiling faces. Thank you!” The iconic singer concluded the message with a warm ending, “With lots of love, Kate.”

Astrid Jorgensen, the founder and director of Pub Choir spoke with The Guardian concerning the email, “My manager called me and said, you’ve got to get home, Kate Bush has emailed. I ran straight back – I was literally running up that hill.” Jorgensen continued to discuss the email, “It is so wild, She is the biggest artist in the world right now, so to have her say she was moved by our performance, yeah, that is a peak.”

Jorgensen also spoke with The Guardian concerning the process taken to request the licence to cover the song, “the response we got back was pretty much, ‘Good luck – we’ll ask, but maybe plan for a different song.” The permission to use the song was sent ten days before the performance, regarding Bush’s initial approval Jorgensen stated, “Even that was a massive deal, the idea that she approved.”

Bush has recently discussed the relationship she holds with her back catalogue, the singer revealed that before its newfound fame she had not listened to “Running Up That Hill” for some time. The “Wuthering Heights” singer also disclosed that she does not revisit her previous releases unless she is required to make edits and revisions to configure the music with different formats.

Whilst appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, Bush spoke with Emma Barnett concerning her historic discography, “I never listen to my old stuff. But then you know, when things like this come along, I’m normally involved in something like you know, maybe doing an edit or revisiting the track for some kind of other reason, I’m working on it. So yeah, I hadn’t heard it for a really long time.“

O’Connor was initially on the show to discuss her new memoir ‘Rememberings’, published on 1st June 2021, but the interview then took a turn in which angered the ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ singer. Within the interview, the host referenced a quote from an article within the newspaper The Telegraph. In the article music critic Neil McCormick had called the singer ‘The crazy lady in pop’s attic’.

The quote was brought up during a conversation regarding the singer’s public struggle with mental health issues, O’Connor took offensive to the discussion and appeared to deem it invasive. She also likened the comparison with the character Bertha Mason taken from the 1847 novel by Charlotte Bronte ‘Jane Eyre’. The singer responded to the quote stating “I think it’s a bit extreme to make the Jane Eyre comparison, I don’t think I’ve ever been perceived as ‘the crazy lady in pop’s attic’ as represented in Jane Eyre. It’s not like I’m trying to attack people with knives or trying to strangle people while I’m walking around in my nightdress.”

The singer then took to Twitter after the interview to voice her outrage.

Actually found the interview with @Emmabarnett extremely offensive and even misogynistic. One abusive and invalidating question or statement after another: “madwoman in the attic” At that point I should have ended it. I will absolutely never do Women’s hour again.

— Sinead O’Connor (Shuhada Sadaqat) (@MagdaDavitt77) June 1, 2021

The singer has recently changed her name to Shuhada Sadaqat after converting to Islam in 2018 but has kept Sinead O’Connor has her stage name and continues to record under it. She rose to fame within the late 1980s and early 1990’s when she released her famous cover of the classic Prince song ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’. The single was released on 8th January 1990 when the singer was in her early 20’s, the song debuted at number one and became hugely successful.

The 54-year-old artist then caused controversy during a performance on Saturday Night Live on 3rd October 1992. O’Connor took to the stage and performed an a cappella rendition of ‘War’ by Bob Marley, the cover was to be in protest against the alleged sexual abuse claims within the Catholic church. The singer then presented a picture of Pope John Paul ii and proceeded to tear the picture whilst singing to the camera.

The incident has remained synonymous with controversy and has followed O’Connor throughout her career and life. The singer has recently announced that she will be releasing her first album in eight years. The album entitled ‘No Veterans Die Alone‘, is set to be released in 2022.

Since the interview O’Connor also posted on Twitter to apologise for a comment she made in which she compared herself to Jamaican men. The singer had spoken about how she has four children with four different men, during this comment the singer made the comparison in question.

Also, apologies if I accidentally offended Jamaican men. I was referring to specific friends of mine in the music business. Jamaican people are my favourite people on this earth and Jamaican male musicians my biggest inspiration. https://t.co/4S9cT9X1An — Sinead O’Connor (Shuhada Sadaqat) (@MagdaDavitt77) June 1, 2021

The host of Woman’s hour Barnett has yet to comment on O’Connor’s disgust expressed over the interview. However, a spokesperson from the BBC has provided a statement to Radiotimes concerning the disagreement. “During an interview about her new book, Sinead O’Connor was talking about her mental health and was asked what she made of a comment by a music critic reviewing her book in recent days.”

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